Aaron Quinn is a Brooklyn-based performer and self-taught composer whose work spans international performances, experimental ensembles, and collaborations with artists such as Sunchoke and Wadada Leo Smith.
His compositions—rooted in grindcore, Afrological improvisation, and electroacoustic/noise—have been premiered at venues like The Kennedy Center (Washington DC) and La Scala (Paris, France) with music released on labels including Lurker Bias, Triptick Tapes and soon Endectomorph.
Barbara Mansukhani is a composer, performer, and improviser based in California. She presents two distinct solo sets: one blending alto saxophone and piano acoustically, and another focused on electronics, soprano saxophone, and flute. Both explore layered sound and improvisation, shaped by a process-oriented approach with attention to texture, space, and form.
Her work draws on minimalism, improvisation, and additive composition, with a strong connection to the conceptual frameworks of artists like Anthony Braxton. Her practice has also been shaped by studies with mentors including Michael Attias and Ralph Alessi.
In addition to her solo projects, she performs in a duo with guitarist Chris Janzen, with whom she is currently developing a new record. She also plays in a quartet with Aaron Quinn (guitar), Jeong Lim Yang (bass), and Yuko Togami (drums), and a trio with Quinn and trumpeter Diego Hedez.
“The Capital City’s
contemporary cool king” Brad Linde is a saxophonist/bandleader/educator based in Washington DC. He has recorded over 25 albums as a leader and has worked with numerous ensembles in free improvisation, big band, and modern jazz settings with greats including Lee Konitz, Wadada Leo Smith, Fay Victor, Scott Robinson, Allison Miller, Freddie Redd, and others. Lonestar’s founder, Alex Carmen, studied free improvisation, composition, and Jazz for several years under an intense mentorship with Linde.